About Ralcon Development Labs

About Ralcon and the founder, RDR

At Ralcon we design and fabricate prototype HOEs and will occasionally brass board the optical system that the HOE or HOEs will go into, a Spectrograph, a Holographic deflector and a Holo-memory are good examples. We also design and construct a wide variety of more conventional optical instruments such as Telescopes, Transmitters, Imaging systems, Illumination systems, Projectors and Head Mounted Displays. We are photon plumbers, charged with the task of routing as many precious photons as possible from their sources to their designated destinations. We also redesign and fix photon leaks and faulty light valves in existing systems. We deal with hot, cold and mixed photons in trickles or torrents. We are familiar with many kinds of photon generators, coherent, incoherent, partially coherent, fast and slow. Sometimes we can fix your photon generator, or at least tune it up or at least add some novel new accessory to it. Our main skill remains to be the redistribution of your photons into discreet patterns and directions. (All serious work is now done at Wasatch Photonics in Logan)

Historically we started business with "jar holograms" and the invention of the Dichromate pendant in 1974. I produced what was probably the first very bright white light reflection hologram of a clock works, From which I launched Ralcon, (then known as the Electric Umbrella). 400 so-so pendant and plate designs followed until 1985 when I "gave" that business to others, currently operating as Krystal Holographics. Our HOE work actually began in 1972 but became profitable in 1979 with the development of an IBM designed bar code reader, for which we made the prototype scanners. We still make new holographic scanner/deflectors from time to time as requested and sell the technology to manufacture them.

To date about 20 employees have learned more about holography through these ventures directly and possibly a hundred more through employment at spinoff companies that have sprouted from our original efforts. We still allow independent safe and competent holographers to work in this lab from time to time to complete their pet projects. We are a small company and plan to stay that way. We still resemble a family owned start up company with about $200,000 in assets and split our time between government contracts, aerospace, university and private small businesses. We actually ceased doing business in June of 2004 at the request the Cache County planning and zoning commission. My consulting hours are flexible and run from about 10 AM to midnight. I like to teach and readily accept paid tutorial jobs all over the country as the opportunities arise. I am also a pilot and often fly for fun around the neighborhood or even from coast to coast.

RDR and his homebuilt *Rotorway 162F helicopter shortly after finishing it and before the first accident, looks a little different in 2005 after 4 mishaps and a lot of repairs. Also shown is an arial view of the labs and runways and RDR in front of the main lab holding an astronomy grating.